M6:3321 — جزر و مدش بد به بحری در زبد / منتهی شد جزر و باقی ماند مد

Translation: His intellect's ebb and flow were within a foamy sea, The ebb concluded, and the flow remained. Meaning: This verse illustrates the human transition from the earthly realm to the enduring spiritual existence; the period of physical descent (ebb) ends, and the spiritual ascent and connection to the origin (flow) remain eternal.

This verse is one of those statements whose key to understanding lies in a return to Rumi's foundational meanings. Here, Rumi speaks of the 'ebb and flow of the intellect' (جزر و مد عقل), but not in the conventional sense of our mind's fluctuations. He places the intellect within a 'sea' (بحر) upon which 'foam' (زبد) rests. This sea, undoubtedly, is the sea of spirits (بحر ارواح); the boundless ocean of existence from which souls originate and to which they return. In Rumi's view, 'the foam of the sea are the forms of the world' (کف دریاست صورت‌های عالم), meaning this natural world and our physical bodies are nothing but ephemeral foam and external manifestations upon the infinite sea of the soul. Thus, the ebb and flow of our intellect is, in fact, the rise and fall of our being within this very sea of spirits, with the physical world, like transient foam, being the outward display of this inner movement.

The cessation of the 'ebb' (جزر) and the persistence of the 'flow' (مد) refer precisely to this unveiling of the truth of existence. The 'ebb' symbolizes the soul's descent into the material world, its embodiment in a physical form, and its entanglement with the demands of this perishable realm; a retraction and a falling away. But with death, this phase of ebb concludes. Rumi does not view death as absolute annihilation, but rather as a gateway to permanence and ascension. It is at this stage that the 'flow' (مد) remains; meaning the soul, freed from bodily constraints, returns to its origin and achieves its ultimate elevation and ascent. This is the 'reclaiming of the days of union' (باز جستن روزگار وصل خویش) that the reed cries out at the beginning of the Masnavi. Separation ends, and union manifests. The 'ebb,' which is the stage of distance and heedlessness, concludes, and the 'flow,' which is the stage of proximity and awareness, becomes eternal.

This verse is situated within a deeper narrative about the spiritual awakening of a debtor at the grave of a deceased comptroller. There, the debtor, instead of seeking help from a dead intermediary, suddenly has his eyes opened and turns directly towards God ('حق'). He understands that the deceased comptroller has himself gone towards the 'sea,' and thus he too must go directly to the 'sea,' not the 'stream' (جوی) that the comptroller mediated. This itself is a mystical awakening. This verse precisely indicates where that comptroller (and any human being) goes upon death: 'His ebb concluded, and his flow remained.' This signifies an ascent and a return to the origin, not absolute non-existence. Therefore, the debtor is right to be hopeful and to follow the path of the liberated comptroller, but this time connecting directly to the source. This teaching aligns perfectly with Rumi's authentic perspective, which sees death not as the end of existence, but as the beginning of true existence. What perishes are the specific forms and attachments of this world; what remains is the spiritual essence and the connection to the absolute origin.

Key takeaways

• Human existence is an 'ebb and flow of the intellect' within the 'sea of spirits,' with the natural world being its foam.
• Death marks the conclusion of the 'ebb' (descent into matter) and the stabilization of the 'flow' (ascent and reunion with the origin).
• What seems to be lost in the transient world is, in reality, joined to elevation and permanence.
• This verse emphasizes that death is not absolute annihilation, but a return to the true source.
• Mystical insight guides humanity from intermediaries towards direct connection with the Ultimate Reality.